


Night School

by Brumeier



Series: Bite Sized Fic 2019 [48]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Teachers, First Meetings, M/M, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-01 19:10:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20263093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: LJ Comment Fic for 100 Words on School prompt:Stargate Atlantis, John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, Nightschool AUIn which Rodney gets roped into teaching a night class and meets a handsome - and mysterious - fellow teacher.





	Night School

Rodney hadn’t stopped cursing since the Dean had told him he had to cover Dr. Falco’s night class while the man was out getting his hip replaced. Falco could’ve scheduled his surgery for summer session, but no. He wanted to dance at his daughter’s wedding or some nonsense, without giving a moment’s consideration to the person who’d end up over-burdened teaching an extra class. At night.

As if anyone was serious about learning physics after dark, when other students were out at parties. Rodney was certain he was going to get the dregs of the department.

He was so busy grumbling to himself he didn’t see the hot guy dressed all in black until he ran into him.

“Whoa. Watch it, buddy!”

Rodney was always ready with a defensive reply when he was the one at fault, but this time all he could do was stare at the man he’d nearly bowled over. Hot wasn’t an accurate descriptor. Sexy was better, but still fell short of the mark. Maybe it was the rakish hair, or the pretty eyes, or the snug fit of his black jeans.

“You okay?”

“What? Oh. You should watch where you’re going.”

One eyebrow went up. “Lemme guess. Dr. McKay? Most feared prof on campus? I heard you were going to be filling in for Doc Falco.”

“Are you one of his students?” Rodney was hoping not, on the off chance the guy might swing his way. 

“John Sheppard. I teach a class across the hall.”

Sheppard. Sheppard? “Are you new? I’ve never heard of you.”

“I only teach night classes.”

That sounded dodgy. Maybe Sheppard had a second job he worked at during the day. Or maybe he just laid around the house playing video games or watching soap operas. There wasn’t time to explore that more, not with students starting to wander in.

“What do you teach?” Rodney asked, because that was an easy question.

“Theology. Have a good class, Dr. McKay.”

Sheppard gave him a nod and went into the classroom across the hall, clapping one of his students on the back with hearty good cheer. Theology? Maybe he was a priest or something, and spent his daytime hours doing church stuff. That would be terribly disappointing.

The Intro to Physics class turned out better than Rodney had anticipated. Falco’s students were mostly adults who worked during the day, and a couple of students who were doubling up as many classes as possible so they could graduate early. He stopped dreading the Tuesday and Thursday night classes.

It didn’t hurt that he had some time before class to chat with Sheppard. The man was always dressed in black, always slinky and good looking and charming. His students seemed to adore him. But he didn’t like to talk about himself, so Rodney still hadn’t found out what it was Sheppard did when he wasn’t teaching Theology.

“I keep busy.”

Rodney tried not to make too much of the fact that Sheppard always seemed to have time to chat with him.

And then one night, Rodney’s class wrapped up early and he snuck across the hall to take a peek at Sheppard teaching his class. He opened the door as stealthily as possible, and then stood there with his mouth gaping like a landed fish.

Sheppard’s students – and Sheppard himself – were dressed in brown robes and doing some sort of Tai Chi. With lightsabers.

“Theology my ass!” Rodney said accusingly once Sheppard’s so-called class wrapped up. “Lightsabers? Really?”

“Jedi is a recognized religion,” Sheppard replied with a smirk. “Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force.”

“So you’re not really a priest, you’re just a huge nerd.”

Sheppard huffed out a laugh. “I never said I was a priest. And Jediism makes as much sense as any other religion.”

That, at least, was a sentiment Rodney could agree with.

“Be happy to tell you more about it,” Sheppard said, leaning against the wall in a ridiculously sexy way. “You hungry?”

“I’m always hungry,” Rodney replied honestly, and then blushed.

Sheppard grinned. “Me too.”

Rodney suspected he wasn’t just talking about food. Two dates later, he confirmed it.

**Author's Note:**

> **AN:** When I was pondering this prompt, I got the idea of John teaching a really unusual night class. And Theology of Jediism was the thing! If you’re wondering what John does during the day, he teaches high school math. Which is why Rodney hasn’t seen him around campus.


End file.
